Writers needed for Ultima V:Lazarus

[J.theYellow]

Mark gave his go-ahead for this, so here we go. I'll admit I don't post here much, but I'm gambling that there will be at least a few aspiring writers around here with time on their hands. Bonus if they're Ultima fans.

About eight weeks ago I joined a project called Ultima V:Lazarus (http://www.u5lazarus.com), a remake of the 1987 CRPG Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny using Dungeon Siege. The project was announced back in 2000, before DS was even on shelves, and has had its share of ups and downs shared by most mod projects, notably the revolving door for staff. Of those who were around in the very beginning, only a few are still active.

The good news is that in four years, the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight. Much progress has been made on the technology and worldbuilding side. There is a demo (http://www.planetdungeonsiege.com/ultima5/tapestry_demos.asp) available, and though nearly six months old, it's playable (DS required). There's more recent screenshots (http://www.planetdungeonsiege.com/ultima5/tapestry_screenshots.asp) and music (http://www.planetdungeonsiege.com/ultima5/tapestry_remixes.asp), many of them updates on the original game themes.

What the project needs is writers, primarily for NPC dialogue.

All the characters (upwards of 300, over twice the number from the original game) have been defined in "region profiles", they just need to be written. We use an internal program that runs on Windows for all scripting, so a basic technical understanding is required on top of an appreciation for non-linear storytelling. Not all NPCs are to be made alike, and on top of upgrading the look and technology for this game, we're taking the original story and upgraing the interaction level to Ultima VII standards. An appreciation for the Ultima series is required, but familiarity can come later.

No doubt some will wonder how we're doing this given EA's ownership of the Ultima label. I can't answer that here, but I can refer anyone who wants to know to the project lead, Ian Frazier (he posts as Tiberius on the official site as well as the official forums (http://www.u5lazarus.org).)

Bonus links to more screenshots are on my site (http://www.damnedvulpine.com/archives/002483.html).

The project now has an (unpaid) contractor listing (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/gig_display.php?gig_id=1847) at Gamasutra, and the project leads can be contacted by a click on the Request More Information From Employer button.

Questions can be posted here or in PM or e-mail to me. Thanks.

[Mattc0m]

Sounds awesome. I'm still polishing my creative writing skills, but they probably aren't at a level were they could be of much use. However, if your in dire need, I'd be more than willing to help.

I look forward to see how this mod progresses, though. Sounds very interesting.

[J.theYellow]

However, if your in dire need, I'd be more than willing to help.

Oh, we have a lot of work to pass around, but we're not all that desperate. :?

Thanks to everyone who have expressed interest via PM and Gamasutra. I need to reiterate that I'm not in any leadership role on the team, so I can't give assignments or appoint anyone, though I'm happy to answer questions about the specifics of the project.

Those who want to get involved can follow the Gama link (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/gig_display.php?gig_id=1847) and get in touch with the team lead that way.

[Mattc0m]

However, if your in dire need, I'd be more than willing to help.

Oh, we have a lot of work to pass around, but we're not all that desperate. :?

Thanks to everyone who have expressed interest via PM and Gamasutra. I need to reiterate that I'm not in any leadership role on the team, so I can't give assignments or appoint anyone, though I'm happy to answer questions about the specifics of the project.

Those who want to get involved can follow the Gama link (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/gig_display.php?gig_id=1847) and get in touch with the team lead that way.

Blah, sorry. I do not proofread my forum posts at all, as I simply don't feel the need to. If a bad grammar upsets you on a public forum, I'm awful sorry.

[Stroker Ace]

a bad grammar is you!

[Mattc0m]

a bad grammar is you!

i no my grammer very good! :evil:

[Tim Partlett]

The occasional phonetic spelling in unchecked prose does not in itself make someone a poor creative writer!

[J.theYellow]

The occasional phonetic spelling in unchecked prose does not in itself make someone a poor creative writer!

No, it doesn't.

But I'm not going out of my way to encourage anyone who can't be bothered to check their own writing, especially when said anyone gets snippy when I call them out for a misspelling. :)

[MikeSofaer]

Using "them" as a singular pronoun hurts me as much as "your" instead of "you're"

[Talisker]

Me fail English? That's unpossible!

[mutt]

Using "them" as a singular pronoun hurts me as much as "your" instead of "you're"

Oh, yeah? Well, your omission of a period at the end of your sentence hurts me more than Mr. Yellow's use of "them." So there.

[Mattc0m]

The occasional phonetic spelling in unchecked prose does not in itself make someone a poor creative writer!

No, it doesn't.

But I'm not going out of my way to encourage anyone who can't be bothered to check their own writing, especially when said anyone gets snippy when I call them out for a misspelling. :)

Look, I was offering to help out, and I get shot down. Not only that, but you had to go out of your way to insult me.

Thanks a lot, chap.

[Bub, Andrew]

The occasional phonetic spelling in unchecked prose does not in itself make someone a poor creative writer!
No, it doesn't.
But I'm not going out of my way to encourage anyone who can't be bothered to check their own writing, especially when said anyone gets snippy when I call them out for a misspelling. :)

Brilliant!
Seriously, you're offering this level of snippy abuse and no pay? You're sure to attract talent that way! Go J.!

[J.theYellow]

I'm still available for questions about the particulars of the project if anyone has any.

If not, I'll just say thanks again for the interest.

[quatoria]

I'm still available for questions about the particulars of the project if anyone has any.

If not, I'll just say thanks again for the interest.

Would the abuse be at a consistent level from the start, or is it the kind of thing that ramps up as one gains seniority in the project, as a perquisite? I don't think I could deal with an unpaid and unprofessional work environment, If I couldn't be assured of a consistent level of insults and flaming. Perhaps that should be your recruitment tagline. "Come for the complete lack of financial compensation and near certainty of never completing the project, stay for the insults and tirades!"

[Ragnar Oppedal]

I'm still available for questions about the particulars of the project if anyone has any.

If not, I'll just say thanks again for the interest.
You're not very nice IMHO =[

[Jazar]

Heh. I'm with J. That was a pretty good burn. :twisted:

[MindToyGames]

The occasional phonetic spelling in unchecked prose does not in itself make someone a poor creative writer!
No, it doesn't.
But I'm not going out of my way to encourage anyone who can't be bothered to check their own writing, especially when said anyone gets snippy when I call them out for a misspelling. :)

Brilliant!
Seriously, you're offering this level of snippy abuse and no pay? You're sure to attract talent that way! Go J.!

My thoughts exactly...and besides, asking people to devote this kind of time to writing on a project, for nothing? Even I would want to pay something...$50 maybe? Something, even if wasn't a lot. And if you're going to ask this of someone, an extra level of courtesy is expected, I think.

In this economy, very few of any real creative talent could spare the time to do this for free. I've learned that most of the time in this type of situation, you usually get what you pay for in the long run. :)

Derek
Stormcloud Creations
www.stormcloudcreations.com

[Bill Dungsroman]

I'm still available for questions about the particulars of the project if anyone has any.

If not, I'll just say thanks again for the interest.
I'd offer, but I'm already working for a nitpicking dick!

Seriously, though. Are you telling me you're here on Qt3 petitioning for writing help, and after politely asking Mark for permission the first thing you do out of the gate is publicly shoot down the first guy who offers, based on an all-too-common error (www.quartertothree.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=338756&highlight=maroon#338756) in his post text? One that any half-assed editor who wasn't a categoric moron could and would catch?

This place is busting at the pants-seat with writers of varying skill and talent. It's a pretty good place to start, for sure. How about you start by apologizing to Mattc0m for being so absurdly finicky? Perhaps after that, everyone here will stop laughing at the idea of toiling away and providing you with content for your anachronistic pet project for free, with the added bonus that you'll probably turn down the work anyway for not fitting your vision or containing too many spelling/grammar errors that any doofus can plainly see are accidental and not evidence that the writer is too stupid to write for, ha ha, some home-brewed DS/Ultima mod.

Good God.

[Thrrrpptt!]

I'd just like to say that everything about this thread cracks me the hell up. The plea for uncompensated help on a mod with obvious issues. The irony of the grammatical error in Mattc0m's offer. The unabashed swagger contained in the response to that offer. And finally, the rapid downward spiral of nit-picking and mockery that brought it to its final crescendo.

Well done, everyone. :)

[J.theYellow]

All right, I promised myself I'd let this thread die, and even requested a lock on it, but here I go breaking it.

I never meant to insult or denigrate anyone. To me, pointing out a spelling error is no great insult. I'm a copy editor at a newspaper, and I do this several times a day. The "we're not that desperate" comment was more in line with the replying poster's comment, suggesting that he's not especially confident in his own abilities as a writer. That's fine in and of itself, and I have nothing against him personally, but this kind of work requires a bit more of a stiff upper lip, and we already have a list of talented writers on the team already -- the list is just too short. Whoever we add would need to be able to work within a team environment, which includes having their work subject to edits.

As far as this place "bursting at the seams with talent," well, yeah, that's what I was thinking when I posted here. And there have been a few that have followed the link to Gamasutra and got in touch with the team lead. I really wasn't expecting more than a few, but then, I was also expecting a few other things about people here that didn't come to pass.

Now it's just come down to people making fun of me and the project, seemingly because that's all they want to do. Which in Internet language means the thread has gone sour and needs to die. I apologize to the moderators for my inadvertent part in making myself a target for flames.

To those who just want to throw adjectives like "anachronistic" at me for no other apparent reason than to denigrate the project, in the language of Britannia, thou art wasting thy freaking time. It's all been said before.

Now, please, if anyone has questions about the project, please refer them to me in private so this thread can pass on.

[DrCrypt]

To those who just want to throw adjectives like "anachronistic" at me for no other apparent reason than to denigrate the project, in the language of Britannia, thou art wasting thy freaking time. It's all been said before.
I know you're a copy editor at a paper, which I know is like a carte blanche for being a total dickhead, but did you source check that Britannia translation? I just ask because I always thought that was fag. As another note, you'd think that the blood of such an erudite member of the intelligentsia - a person so finnicky about spelling and grammar when people want to help him out on a casual gaming board - would positively curdle when having to copy check the embarassing pidgin Chaucer that passes for Ye Olde Englishe in Lorde Britishe's Ultimae.

[Bill Dungsroman]

All right, I promised myself I'd let this thread die, and even requested a lock on it (Wimp - Ed.), but here I go breaking it.

I never meant to insult or denigrate anyone. To me, pointing out a spelling error is no great insult. I'm a copy editor at a newspaper, and I do this several times a day. The "we're not that desperate" comment was more in line with the replying poster's comment, suggesting that he's not especially confident in his own abilities as a writer. That's fine in and of itself, and I have nothing against him personally, but this kind of work requires a bit more of a stiff upper lip, and we already have a list of talented writers on the team already -- the list is just too short. Whoever we add would need to be able to work within a team environment, which includes having their work subject to edits.
Wow, don't hurt yourself replying to this thread and apologizing (not to Mattc0m, incidentally), Jayski. Guy who requests a thread be locked immediately after stepping on his own penis rather than apologize first and move on is informing us that we need to toughen up. Yeah.

As far as this place "bursting at the seams with talent," well, yeah, that's what I was thinking when I posted here. And there have been a few that have followed the link to Gamasutra and got in touch with the team lead. I really wasn't expecting more than a few, but then, I was also expecting a few other things about people here that didn't come to pass.
Disappointments all around, then :(

Now it's just come down to people making fun of me and the project, seemingly because that's all they want to do. Which in Internet language means the thread has gone sour and needs to die. I apologize to the moderators for my inadvertent part in making myself a target for flames.
FWIW, I started this thread genuinely interested in perhaps participating in your leedle project. I have a way with words, you know? But by the time I got to the bottom, well, there was now way in Hell I'd throw in if that's the sort of parlay a guy supposedly out trying to humbly acquire talent would respond to offers with. Additionally, this late-breaking news that you were making fun of Mattc0m's commitment to writing and not his innocent spelling error was lost in all the, you know, boldfacing of the error.

To those who just want to throw adjectives like "anachronistic" at me for no other apparent reason than to denigrate the project, in the language of Britannia, thou art wasting thy freaking time. It's all been said before.
You mean me. I'm still here, you know! BTW, you're the one committing denigration-by-proxy. What is it with people on the Internet being incapable of apologizing? Christables son, you not only shot the guy down (to Hell with his spelling error, you summarily declined his offer off the cuff), but now you've implied that he's a pussy. And you still haven't apologized!

You remind me of a certain dude who asked for help with his personal logo.

[Squirrel Killer]

...I was also expecting a few other things about people here that didn't come to pass.

What the fuck were you expecting out of "people here"? That when you went all grammar nazi on a guy who was just offering help with your request (whose mistake didn't necessarily reflect on his creative writing skills), say that you're "not that desperate" (which sure as shit looks insulting and denigrating), and then bitch that he was getting "snippy" when he wasn't (actually his response was a model of restraint compared to yours), that we'd all climb over each other to offer you a cookie so that we could take your destructive criticism?

[VegasRobb]

Man, a smiley face would have prevented all this.

Interesting read nonetheless.

[J.theYellow]

Man, a smiley face would have prevented all this.

I used two of them, in two different posts. :(

[Sebmolo]

Yes, but you suck. :D

[MindToyGames]

...I was also expecting a few other things about people here that didn't come to pass.

What the fuck were you expecting out of "people here"? That when you went all grammar nazi on a guy who was just offering help with your request (whose mistake didn't necessarily reflect on his creative writing skills), say that you're "not that desperate" (which sure as shit looks insulting and denigrating), and then bitch that he was getting "snippy" when he wasn't (actually his response was a model of restraint compared to yours), that we'd all climb over each other to offer you a cookie so that we could take your destructive criticism?

Well put. And even more interestingly, this is definately the wrong board to come onto with an attitude like J has displayed here. Most that post here are heavy veteran gamers, writers/reviewers for mags and/or sites, or work or have worked for game companies in one capacity or another.

Derek
Stormcloud Creations
www.stormcloudcreations.com

[ToutSuite]

All right, I promised myself I'd let this thread die, and even requested a lock on it, but here I go breaking it.
Breaking what?

I'm a copy editor at a newspaper, and I do this several times a day.
I don't believe you.

and we already have a list of talented writers on the team already
Do you already have them already? Because I'm already tired of hearing about it.

I apologize to the moderators for my inadvertent part in making myself a target for flames.
Haha. That's awesome.

Now, please, if anyone has questions about the project, please refer them to me in private so this thread can pass on.
Do you mind if we keep making fun of it, you?

[Sparky]

Most that post here are heavy veteran gamers, writers/reviewers for mags...
I know my ass looks big in this font, but that was uncalled for.

[Bill Dungsroman]

Man, a smiley face would have prevented all this.

I used two of them, in two different posts. :(

I found only one:

But I'm not going out of my way to encourage anyone who can't be bothered to check their own writing, especially when said anyone gets snippy when I call them out for a misspelling. :)
"Hi, sorry you're such a dumbass - take my advice and learn to take it! :) "

Wow, how could we have so terribly mistaken your intentions there?

I can only assume this is what you're calling your other "smiley face:"

Oh, we have a lot of work to pass around, but we're not all that desperate. :?
That ain't no smile I ever seen afore, Podner. Looks more like you're being snarky and arch which, while being marginally homonymous with a mediocre 70s action show, doesn't even half-resemble good-natured jocular ribbing 'monst pals. Sorry.

[DrCrypt]

I really had nothing more to say - J's back-pedaling is fairly transparent and his attempts to lock a thread he doesn't want to apologize in are pretty callow. But because J. The Yellow went the extra yard by PMing me with a snippy little "Thanks for not reading my post" note, I've just got to nail the specific lie down:

I never meant to insult or denigrate anyone. To me, pointing out a spelling error is no great insult. I'm a copy editor at a newspaper, and I do this several times a day. The "we're not that desperate" comment was more in line with the replying poster's comment, suggesting that he's not especially confident in his own abilities as a writer. That's fine in and of itself, and I have nothing against him personally, but this kind of work requires a bit more of a stiff upper lip, and we already have a list of talented writers on the team already -- the list is just too short. Whoever we add would need to be able to work within a team environment, which includes having their work subject to edits.
Right. Spelling wasn't the issue, it was MattC0m's apparent lack of self-confidence, which is why you turned him down by quoting a spelling mistake and then bolding it.... I'm sure his self-esteem was sitting a notch higher after all that! But it's a nice, snarky little circular bit of logic there, isn't it? The issue isn't that he's a bad speller, it's that he's got low self-esteem, and consequently wouldn't be able to deal with a team where his bad spelling had to be checked. Buckeye.

You know, it's not like people here don't say crappy things to each other all the time and most of the time, we don't apologize for it. But a) we're not soliciting for volunteer, out-of-sheer-goodwill-and-exuberance work, and b) we don't try to get The Entity to suppress all evidence of us being jerks.

[The Chinese Lawyer]

J. I see your still in need of a legal team. I volunteer!

[Mattc0m]

Wait... why do I have low self-esteem, again?

[J.theYellow]

Wait... why do I have low self-esteem, again?

I don't think you do. Your original post sounded like you weren't confident enough in your abilities as a writer and implied I was desperate for posting here asking for help, but I didn't think lower of you for posting it.

If you were genuinely offended by my post, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. You're welcome to go through Gamasutra and contact my team lead if you're interested in the project. He's a nicer guy than I am.

[Derek Meister]

Threads like this make me believe Qt3 needs it's own wikipedia so that we can point these things out to the newbies, much like we do the more famous Koontz posts.

[VegasRobb]

There we go, the happy ending ... right?

[mutt]

Up to the minute sports reporting:

Mattc0m, who appeared down and out going into the second quarter, has scored a big recovery and is now back in the game. However, during his recovery he was inadvertantly injured by teammates Dungsroman and Crypt, who damaged his self-esteem by accusing the opposing team of damaging his self-esteem. Seeing an opening, the captain of the opposing team, one Mr. Yellow, gave Mattc0m a big boost by apologizing for his earlier cheap shot, prompting the question among onlookers: will Mattc0m now switch sides and double up with Yellow against Dungsroman and Crypt?

Stay tuned.

[Lizard_King]

I don't think you do. Your original post sounded like you weren't confident enough in your abilities as a writer and implied I was desperate for posting here asking for help, but I didn't think lower of you for posting it.
Copy editor, my ass.

[Rimbo]

You know, I wasn't afraid or ashamed to offer my services at first, but now I'm not so sure.

I think I'll just lurk...

[Bill Dungsroman]

Up to the minute sports reporting:

Mattc0m, who appeared down and out going into the second quarter, has scored a big recovery and is now back in the game. However, during his recovery he was inadvertantly injured by teammates Dungsroman and Crypt, who damaged his self-esteem by accusing the opposing team of damaging his self-esteem. Seeing an opening, the captain of the opposing team, one Mr. Yellow, gave Mattc0m a big boost by apologizing for his earlier cheap shot, prompting the question among onlookers: will Mattc0m now switch sides and double up with Yellow against Dungsroman and Crypt?

Stay tuned.
Sometimes you gotta hurt to heal, knwhmsyn?


There we go, the happy ending ... right?
Dude, this ain't the happy ending I paid for! (Get me? :wink: :wink: nudgenudge)

ONLY ON THIS SITE do I get called a dick by implication for helping a guy out. I'm moving to Ireland. Judging by Crypt and the fact that it is, indeed, the Land of Ire, I'll not worry over such things never no more, (CLAP CLAP CLAP) no nay never no mo-o-o-ore!

Hey, who wants to read my Baldur's Gate fanfic?

[Mattc0m]

Whenever in doubt.... lurk.

[Raife]

Whenever in doubt.... lurk.

Buck up, little camper. The yellow man is going away.

[LokeUtgaard]

http://www.lokesoftware.dk/bong/dilbert.gif

[mutt]

http://www.lokesoftware.dk/bong/dilbert.gif

Dude, that's some funny shit right there. I don't care who you are...